He earned a PhD in genetics from The University of California, Davis, and joined the faculty of Cornell University as assistant professor of genetics. Dr. Brotman, as a free-lance journalist, reported for the New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune on new technologies in human reproduction. He received a law degree from Southwestern University in Los Angeles in 1989 and has been practicing patent law at partner level in major San Diego law firms prior to joining Stemedica.